Nutrient and tannin content of browsing shrub legumes informally used for small ruminant feeding in Canary Islands, Spain

The objective of this study was to contribute to the characterization of nutritional potential, with special attention to the profiles on phenolic compounds and condensed tannins, of some native browsing shrub legumes informally used for ruminant feeding in Canary Islands. The species selected for this study were Bituminaria bituminosa var. bituminosa, Bituminaria bituminosa var. albormaginata, Chamaecytisus proliferus var. palmensis, Chamaecytisus proliferus var. canariae and Adenocarpus foliosus. Crude protein (CP) ranged from 10.6% (Bituminaria b. bituminosa ) to 18.5% (Adenocarpus foliosus) whereas neutral detergent fibre (NDF) was between 39.9% (Chamaecytisus p. canariae ) and 51.6% (Bituminaria b. albormaginata). Condensed tannins expressed as catechin equivalent ranged from 0.1% (Bituminaria b. albormaginata) to 0.5% (Bituminaria b. bituminosa), and total phenols expressed as tannic acid equivalent ranged from 0.9% (Bituminaria b. albormaginata ) to 3.5% (Chamaecytisus p. palmensis). The organic matter digestibility (OMD) ranged from 51.9% (Bituminaria b.albormaginata) to 71.5% (Chamaecytisus p. canariae). Current results support the thesis that, according to the more local empiric practices, native flora of Canary Islands have an under exploited potential with the capacity to assist eventual changes in ruminant feeding systems strategies. Nevertheless, deeper characterization and in vivo evaluation studies of the species covered in this study are required at diffe rent seasons and vegetative stages (e.g. digestibility in vivo, palatability, voluntary intake, productive response).